Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-09-30
CIRCUIT COURT.
Last Of the Criminal Cases.

The $50 tine assessed against ". l.
Nolan, mentioned last issue, was for
the Sabbath and not the
prohibition law.
"DUMMY's" CASE.
The jury to try Parker McCombs,
.ol., for the murder of Bob Carey,
vas empaneled on the 23rd inst. The
,ase occupied two or three days and
when the jury took it Monday it was
expected that a speedy verdict of
guilty would be returned. But the
ury staid out until Wednesday and
hen brought in verdict of acquit-
al. 1t is probable that McCombs
owes his acquittal 10 the fact that he
s deaf and dumb. The case as made
tut left no room for doubt as to his
quilt. dummy" went into tent on
Sixth street, where Carey was sleep
ng on a bench, and armed with a
pistol struck a match and began
,eering round in the darkness. Carey
AN out of the tent and both parties
IAN up 7th street and Carey was
'hot and killed by McCombs while
for his life. The defense en-
leavored to establish the theory that
Carey was after McCombs and struck
At him with a stick and as he was
TUNED refund by the force of the
blow McCombs shot. The fact was
that Carey was shot four or five times
in the back, while running from Nc.
Combs, which destroyed any reason
able grounds for plea of self-de-
tense. McCombs was put on the
stand but nothing could be got out Of
his signs and motions, except that he
claimed to have been assaulted by
Carey ten days before on the street
near the Baptist church. The de-
PENDANT did not deny having done
the killing and there was no question
of his guilt. He should have beer
punished, but the jury probably le
their sympathies get the better o.
their judgment. A short term would
have at least taught the prisoner
that it is wrong TO go around running
people up out of their beds and kill
ing them.
TWO MORE CoHvICTs.
VIM. Hunter, col, for gran d LARGE
ny, was tried by jury on q plea o.
guilty and given 2 years.
Ed Morris, COL, for breaking int
the depot, was tried by jury also oil
a plea of guilty and given 2 years.
THE IKE PARRISH CASE.
This case was called Tuesday ant
the following jury empaneled: VIM
Renshaw, Jno. L. McCord, j. D
Lockhart, Ed. Cole, col, Ben Hunt
COL, Manuel Sykes, COL, Jonas Court
ney, w. L. Williamson, f. NJ. Whit
low, ID. V. Tut. Clark Sharp and W
f. Meacham.
Contrary to general expectation
the commonwealth was unable 4
make out a strong case against Par
IRISH. The first witness was Jas. Fox
COL, who saw the difficulty in which
Geo. Taylor was killed by Par
IRISH. He stated that Taylo
had hurried up some negro children
aud cursed them for not hanging TO
bacco fast enough. lie also had SOM
words with Parrish and drew a to
bacco stick on him. Afterwards thu
affair passed off and while the hands
were laughing aud talking, Parrish''
wife, the mother of the children
came from the house and and asked
the children what the late trouble
was about. Taylor spoke up with al
oath and said he was the man and il
she didn't like it she needn't TAKE
it. The woman retorted by calling
him a "fool" and "poor white devil
and Taylor seized tobacco stick ant
struck her over the shoulders anG
broke the stick. She fell forward
and as Taylor drew back the half il
his hand for another blow, Parrish
leaped from the wagon, picked up his
tobacco knife and stabbed Taylor in
the left side. Taylor walked few
steps, turned, came back 10 the same
place and lay down and began to pray
and died in a few minutes thereafter
Three or four other witnesses stated
about the same as Fox. Parrish also
told substantially the same story and
explained his leaving by saying he
left because he was afraid of mob
violence. His side Of the case was
well presented by Messrs, Sites,
Henry, Feland, Jr., and Breathitt
Mr.. Garrett spoke for the Common
wealth. The jury took the case al
2 o'clock Wednesday and in an
hour returned a verdict of not guilty
The report that the woman who
brought on the killing was not Par.
rish's wife was untrue. Their mar
riage certificate was produced, as
we'll as witnesses who saw them
married. The prisoner is a medium
sized, thin visaged negro with stoop.
ing shoulders, slight burnsides and
moustache and defect in lis left eye
His wife is big, Swapping, stout
looking woman, good deal larger
than her husband. Both of them Al,
black, full blooded negroes. This il
the first case on record in this COUNTY
where a negro has been acquitted o
the murder of a white man.
HANDY RELEASED.
On motion of his counsel, Col
Clark, II. L. Handy, given l year fo
arson, was given a new trial yester